What’s worse than a long, cramped train journey? A long, cramped train journey without a smartphone to distract yourself with. But for artist Robin Lee, leaving his phone in his pocket may have been a more sensible option, as charging his device through a London Overground train’s power socket unexpectedly led to his arrest.

18 July 2015

Solar panels keep getting lighter and tinier — good news for rugged on-the-go types who can charge their devices on the trail with sun-fuelled chargers. And this particular solar charger on Kickstarter is so thin, you can slip it in your Lonely Planet while it feeds your phone battery.

Golf is a dying sport, and country club memberships are seen as an elitist relic of the past. But cultural changes are only one reason golf courses are falling out of favour: The chemical-laden, water-guzzling greens are especially irresponsible for areas hit by drought. Here’s an idea from Japan for those sunny green fairways: Use them to generate solar energy instead.

7 July 2015

As drought strikes broad regions of the world, farmers are focusing on the crops that can feed people — not the crops that can power their cars. But what if there was an energy crop that could grow where traditional crops can’t? Even in a drought? Enter the cactus.

4 July 2015

The Solar Impulse solar-powered plane touched down today in Hawaii, at the end of a record-setting flight across the Pacific. Attention and praise are quite rightly going to be heaped on pilot André Borschberg, who will have been peeing into a funnel for 120 hours straight. But behind the scenes, Solar Impulse is also the work of a giant logistical operation that would put a space mission to shame.

1 July 2015

Cheap and easy wireless charging sounds like Nikola Tesla’s fantasy brought to life. It’s downright futuristic to think your smartphone could suck up juice just by placing it near a power source. And that’s exactly what IKEA wants to do with its new wireless charging devices. Yes, that IKEA — the Swedish furniture empire.